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Kiehl's vs Lancôme

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Kiehl's and Lancôme are two distinct beauty lines offering nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, soothing toners, and gentle eye products. The American house relies on dependable ingredients like glycerin and squalane, while the French label incorporates glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and adenosine. Both options suit sensitive skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their specific formulations and heritage, with the first brand founded in 1851 and the second established in 1935.

Kiehl's is an American skincare brand founded in 1851 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 2000.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.org

Lancôme is a French skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1964.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

This page compares some of the most popular Kiehl's and Lancôme products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Kiehl's vs Lancôme products

People Say

Kiehl'sLancôme
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin an instant dewy glow — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “keeps the skin soft and hydrated — Lancôme HYDRA ZEN”
    • “The product provides deep hydration and visible rejuvenation. — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Night Cream”
    • “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like nothing — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “works on dark skin — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “absorbs almost instantly — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • Gentle for sensitive skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “experienced zero irritation — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “fragrance-free — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate sensitive eyes — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Skin barrier and texture improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin feeling silky — Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels smoother — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “skin looked & felt smoother — Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Cream”
    • “Skin feels cushiony soft — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Makeup compatibility and primer benefits Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado”
    • “no pilling — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “concealer applies smoothly — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
    • “layers beautifully under makeup — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
  • Brightening and fading dark spots Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Acne marks are gone — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks radiant — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Skin looks lit from within — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “eyes look rested — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
  • High price point and poor value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “pricy daily staple — Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream”
    • “Very expensive product — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “super expensive — Lancôme Absolue Precious Oil”
    • “expensive as hell — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
  • Ineffective or slow results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “Takes months to see — Kiehl's Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution”
    • “didn't notice much change in wrinkles — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Unpleasant or strong fragrance issues Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells clinical — Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum”
    • “faint lab smell — Kiehl's Better Screen UV Serum”
    • “smell is overpowering — Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate”
    • “My only issue with it is the fragrance. — Lancôme Hydra Zen Gel Cream”

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for dry skin

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Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Kiehl's vs Lancôme routines for combination skin

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Questions and answers

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which is better?

Both brands offer an equal routine fit across all skin types, with Kiehl's doing better for sensitive skin and skin barrier improvement while Lancôme delivers better deep hydration and moisturization.

What is the difference between Kiehl's and Lancôme?

Kiehl's and Lancôme are both owned by L'Oréal S.A., but Kiehl's was founded in the United States in 1851 while Lancôme started in France in 1935. Reviewers find that Kiehl's does better for gentle care on sensitive skin, whereas Lancôme is better for deep hydration and moisturization.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for dry skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a High routine fit for dry skin. Kiehl's features mostly fragrance-free products on this page and is noted for deep hydration, while Lancôme is known for deep hydration and moisturization.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which cleanser is better?

When comparing cleansers, Kiehl's is generally better for sensitive skin due to its gentle formulas, whereas the products on this page for Lancôme include a facial cleanser that has a warning for skin irritation across multiple skin types. Kiehl's also features several cleansers with High or Superior Lovi fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types.

Which is more affordable, Kiehl's or Lancôme?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme are on the higher side of pricing, with high price points frequently noted by reviewers for the products on this page.

Between Kiehl's and Lancôme, which brand has fewer products containing added fragrance?

Between Kiehl's and Lancôme, Kiehl's has fewer products containing added fragrance. Only 2 of the 28 products on this page list fragrance for Kiehl's, compared to 11 of the 14 products for Lancôme.

Which brand performs better for deep hydration and moisturization?

Lancome performs better for deep hydration and moisturization compared to Kiehl's based on reviewer feedback.

How do the key ingredients differ across Kiehl's and Lancôme products?

Kiehl's key ingredients feature Glycerin, Vitamin C, Squalane, Shea butter, and Vitamin E, whereas Lancôme products rely on Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid, and Adenosine.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for oily skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme provide a High routine fit for oily skin. Kiehl's is particularly well-suited here with products like the Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque and Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner achieving High and Superior fit levels.

Kiehl's or Lancôme: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, Lancôme is better for deep hydration and moisturization on the products on this page, while Kiehl's is better for gentle care on sensitive skin. Lovi rates both brands with a High routine fit for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, dry sensitive skin, and oily acne-prone skin.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for sensitive skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Kiehl's is often preferred for being gentler on sensitive skin because most of the products on this page list no fragrance.

Kiehl's or Lancôme for acne-prone skin?

Both Kiehl's and Lancôme have a High routine fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Kiehl's is particularly noted for being gentle for sensitive skin and improving the skin barrier and texture.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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